Iran dealThe nuclear deal with Iran: Highlights

The details of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed yesterday, 14 July 2015, in Vienna are complicated and mostly of technical nature, but the agreement itself is not much more than a bargain between the world’s powers and Iran: Iran agreed to accept the imposition of exceedingly strict limits on its nuclear program in exchange for a return of its frozen assets and the lifting of the crippling sanctions the United States, the EU, and the UN had imposed on it for its refusal to live within the strictures of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), of which it is a member.

The details of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed yesterday, 14 July 2015, in Vienna are complicated and mostly of technical nature, but the agreement itself is not much more than a bargain between the world’s powers and Iran: Iran agreed to accept the imposition of exceedingly strict limits on its nuclear program in exchange for a return of its frozen assets and the lifting of the crippling sanctions the United States, the EU, and the UN had imposed on it for its refusal to live within the strictures of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), of which it is a member.

The sanctions imposed on Iran because of its active support of terrorism will not be lifted as part of the Vienna deal.

As part of the agreement and to verify its compliance with it, Iran has accepted extensive and intrusive monitoring of its nuclear program, and has also committed itself to cooperate with the IAEA’s investigation into Iran’s past nuclear weapons-related activities.

The complete text of the deal between the P5+1 and Iran over Iran’s nuclear program has been posted on the Russian government Web site. The Guardiansummarized the main points of the agreement:

Uranium enrichment capacityIran’s current capacity of 19,500 gas centrifuges would be reduced by more than two-thirds to 6,104, out of which only 5,060 would be actively enriching uranium. All of the active centrifuges would be first-generation centrifuges based on 1950s technology. For the first fifteen years of the deal Iran would not be allowed to enrich uranium beyond the level of 3.67 percent purity — low-enriched uranium (LEU) used in nuclear power stations.

Fordow underground enrichment plantThis facility, dug deeply under a mountain near the holy city of Qom, was part of Iran’s clandestine nuclear-weapon program, was brought to light in 2009 by Iranian dissidents. The facility is buried so deep underground, that it is doubtful it could be destroyed by even the heaviest conventional bomb. The agreement stipulates that it would be used only for non-military research. Two-thirds of the centrifuges in the facility would be removed, and the rest would not be allowed to enrich uranium. No fissile material would be allowed at the site. These restrictions would apply for fifteen years.